Chapter 14: Are You Even Worthy?!

Madam He was like a corpse, left with nothing to do but stare blankly.

He Jianzhong's legs trembled, and to everyone's shock, he fell to his knees with a heavy thud!

How could the secrets of the Imperial Family be known to just anyone?

The fact that Yuetang could speak of these things already proved a part of it.

Seeing the state of the two, she curled her lips again: "That monk said that if that malevolent calamity were to truly take root, it would stir up a world-shaking storm of blood and carnage.

"At first, the late Emperor did not believe in such superstitions. Not only did he bestow the title of Prince Jin upon the Second Prince during his full-moon banquet, but he also bestowed the title of County Princess Yongjia upon Prince Duan's youngest daughter. Because she shared the same destiny of bearing the calamity with the second imperial son, the Emperor and Empress treated her as if she were their own flesh and blood.

"But that monk perhaps possessed true insight. In the five years that followed, Prince Jin and Yongjia were plagued by constant misfortunes—one would be injured, the other would fall ill.

"Finally, in that year, Prince Jin unexpectedly contracted a plague, and at the same time, Yongjia fell into a lake, leaving everyone exhausted and heartbroken.

"After much deliberation, the Emperor and Empress sent Prince Jin to the estate of the State Father of Jiangling.

"As for County Princess Yongjia, she stayed in the Prince's manor for a few more days, but at the age of six, following the death of Princess Consort Duan, she moved to her own imperial manor in the outskirts of the capital, protected by a group of guards personally selected by Prince Duan and transferred from the palace.

"Until the third day of the seventh month three years ago, just half a month before her sixteenth birthday, she was driven off a cliff by your conspiracy.

"However, you never expected that since I have lived alone away from home for many years, how could I not have a few loyal people by my side?

"If you could guess that Wei Zhang did not die, you should have realized that I might still be alive as well."

As she finished speaking, she had already crumbled a piece of yam cake into fine powder.

She rubbed her fingers with a hint of disdain: "If you were going to buy pastries, you should have bought from the Imperial Kitchen. Aside from them, no one else makes them well."

She snatched the silk handkerchief from Madam He's arms to wipe her hands, then turned her head back: "Now, how do you wish to die?"

Sweat soaked through the back of He Jianzhong's clothes!

He prostrated himself on the ground, attempting to straighten up several times to look at her, but it felt as if a thousand pounds were pressing down on his back; no matter what he did, he could not stand straight!

Ever since County Princess Yongjia left the capital at the age of six, no one had ever seen her face again!

So, so it was true—the world's admiration for her childhood beauty was not mere hearsay!

So, the woman who was incomparably brave in the darkness of that night actually possessed such breathtaking beauty!

So, so she had not died; she was still alive!

The County Princess of the Yue family—the one who was cherished by everyone from top to bottom, whose name was personally drafted by the late Emperor, whose guards were handpicked, and whose full-moon banquet clothes were personally prepared by the Empress; the one who was murdered by the joint efforts of the He and Zhang families three years ago while the late Emperor lay dying—she had not died!

The princess's attire, the jewelry, and the unique markings on the corpse at the bottom of the cliff had all been deliberately left behind!

Falling off the cliff was merely her means of desperate survival!

No wonder... no wonder Wei Zhang's body could not be found at the scene.

Everyone by her side had been meticulously selected; not a single person was disloyal to her!

If she died, how could her top-tier attendants survive alone?!

So this was the reason for He Xu's death!

It was because she had fought her way back, and she intended to exterminate the entire He family!

Blood surged wildly through He Jianzhong's body, making his entire frame numb; he could only gape his mouth to gasp for air.

Then, he suddenly lunged forward on his knees: "Don't kill me! Don't kill me! The one who instigated us was the Marquis of Guangling; we were only following orders! I can be your dog, your County Princess—whatever you want me to do, I can—"

Before he could finish, a slender, pale hand, cold and powerful as an iron claw, clamped around his throat like a bolt of lightning!

Yuetang's eyes were frigid as she leaned in close: "Are you worthy? Do you think I need a dog like you?"

Tears fell from He Jianzhong's eyes like rolling beads.

The man who had been so aggressive just a moment ago was now as terrified as a falling leaf outside a window.

Yuetang suddenly released her hand and reached out toward Xiao Huo.

Huo Yun produced a dagger gleaming with a cold light and handed it to her with both hands.

Yuetang then placed the dagger into Madam He's hand, reversing the tip to point at her heart.

"Do not be afraid. What I suffered, and what my A-Li suffered, was far more painful than what you are suffering today. There were over a hundred of them, while at that time, including three-month-old A-Li, there were only twenty-three of us.

"They decapitated my wet nurse and hacked my favorite maid's body into two pieces.

"They even thrust their knives toward little, soft A-Li—my eldest son, whom I carried for ten months and brought into this world through immense hardship.

"As you know, my father had only my elder brother and me; my twin younger brother passed away before he could even see this world.

"My mother suffered greatly giving birth to us, so after that, my father would not let her bear more children.

"Of course, she could no longer conceive. When I was six, she passed away.

"Later, just after my brother married, he also died of illness.

"It was my Imperial Uncle's benevolence that allowed me to take a husband from another family and permitted me to bear heirs to inherit my father's title.

"A-Li was the heir to my Prince Duan's manor! He was the hope of my father's later years!

"He was so joyful at A-Li's birth; he always said that he was my daughter's child and the very apple of my eye.

"Before he died, he had already planned to pass his entire estate down to him, to personally select the finest teachers to ensure he became a man of talent.

"It was you who laid the trap to kill me, and who caused that weak, tiny A-Li to die.

"You wounded him and let the horse carry his bloodied body fleeing everywhere!

"My A-Li had to endure such agony; how desperate he must have been at that moment.

"And since you are enjoying the wealth bought with their flesh and blood, tell me, at this point, what is there left to fear?"

Madam He's tears flowed like a spring, her throat convulsing, unable to make a single sound!

Several times she felt she might faint from Yuetang's words, yet she feared dying in confusion and struggled to maintain her posture!

How could her sickly, frail body endure such torment?

Moreover, for the past two days, her heart had been like oil poured into a fire.

Every nerve in her body was stretched taut, but at that moment, the hand Yuetang used to grip her wrist suddenly twisted, forcing her to plunge the knife toward He Jianzhong's heart along with her!

She immediately closed her eyes and began to scream hysterically.

He Jianzhong cried out "County Princess" in anguish, but he was attacked from both front and back; prostrate on the ground, he was like a stray dog under a stick, utterly unable to resist: "I'll confess, I'll confess everything! Just ask! Please, ask quickly!..."

Yuetang narrowed her eyes at him, baring a row of chillingly white teeth: "Beg me to ask? Fine, then tell me, in whose hands is my County Princess Seal?"

He Jianzhong's eyes suddenly dropped, and he blurted out: "After I took it from... from under the corpse back then, I handed it to the Marquis! The seal is with him, it must be with him!"

The tip of Yuetang's blade pierced his jaw, watching the bloody streak widen: "Still trying to play coy? Where did the reward money the Du family gave you come from? Do you not know who is pulling their strings?"